Vote “Yes” on Question 4 at the Ballot Box this Election Day
It is all too common for workers today to face heart-wrenching choices between their job and caring for themselves or an ill loved one.
The Binding of Isaac: A New Look at an Old Story
The story of the binding of Isaac (Genesis 22) has always troubled me, and reading it again this year has been no different.
We Get to Be Jewish
Growing up the child of a Jew-by-choice, everything about Judaism was a choice for us. For my mother, Judaism was a gift. She felt very proud to count herself among the Jewish people. She felt blessed to have the opportunity to do Jewish things.
Why We Must be Like Abraham and Speak Truth to Power
It is no secret that social action is a central maxim of Judaism.
Clothes Make the Story . . .
To paraphrase Mark Twain, "clothes make the [story]." Throughout the course of Parashat Vayeishev, references to clothing accentuate and propel the unfolding drama.
Joseph's Clothes Spell Trouble
Trouble at the Borders — and Within
This post is adapted from a sermon given at Temple Sinai in Washington, DC on Friday, June 29, 2018.
Identity and Ethics: Knowing Who and Whose You Are
If someone tells you that Judaism is X or Y, you should never believe them. Judaism is such a complex civilization — it is made up of religion and culture, language and land, and a particular kind of peoplehood. ... The Israelites’ preparations both to enter the Land and to create an ideal society are central motifs of Deuteronomy, and a particular focus of the extensive Parashat R’eih.
Mothers of Jerusalem: A Prayer for the Protection of Our Children
Mothers of Jerusalem,
Your wail echoes in the hills,
Your grief resounds in the valleys,
Your prayer rises up into the luminous sky.